Into The Woods
by wee-lepricauns-Inc
Summary: Its 1703 and Buffy Summers is wanted in the worst sense of the word. Spike needs the money but can he hand her in? Or will feelings get in the way? Not to mention Buffy and Angel's past together, who will she choose? Spuffy and Bangel. ON HOLD
1. Introduction

**Just to make things clear this story is AU and will contain traces of fluffy romance, you've been warned. Oh and this is set around the 1700's. Read on and bask in the Spuffyness!**

"Shit!" Buffy mumbled under her breath as another jar of food slipped from her hands. She considered picking it up but there just wasn't time for that. Once again Holtz and his army had tracked her. She didn't know how but she knew _why_. She was a thief and catching her meant more money than one could dream of. Her own mother had even been taken from her for 'protection against her rogue daughter'. Her blistered feet pounded against the stones and twigs that covered the ground. The pain of running for hours on end was normal; the fear however was not. Holtz had chased her from town to town for six months and he was getting quicker. His army was growing and it was wearing her out.

"This way!" a man yelled from far behind her. Buffy turned around and saw the glow of approaching torches. She held her breath, would she be able to get away in time? Or was she about the get caught again? There was a forest just a short run from where she was but it was risky, she would no doubt be seen.

"Hurry!" Holtz's dry, ageing voice commanded. Holtz was a shady man and even if the residents saw him as the big hero, Buffy knew different. She'd seen the cruel, sadistic man behind the mask and there was no way in hell she facing it again.

As Buffy ran towards the opening in the forest she recalled the advice Angel had given her when they met during her stay in prison. '_Holtz men never check the trees, they're fast but they're stupid' _he had told her from behind the bars. It was soon after they had grown so close to each other that Buffy escaped, leaving Angel behind to serve whatever punishment he talked about deserving. Finally she had reached the forest, but something felt wrong. She couldn't hear the horses anymore. Why had they stopped all of a sudden? They had been chasing her for months and they only just got tired now?

"Better late then never" Buffy said in what was barely a whisper, glancing around suspiciously, just in case. She shrugged and made her way through the forest, finding a tree she saw suitable to climb and hide in.

Meanwhile Holtz and his soldiers watched as Buffy scampered into the forest

"Well?" Holtz questioned from behind them

"She's headed towards the trees sir," the smaller soldier informed him then looked nervously from his fellow soldier to Holtz personal army. Holtz had some really talented men helping with his attempt to stop unwanted crimes. All of which he knew would have no problems killing in the name of the law.

"Should we… go after her?" the taller one asked fearfully, the last time he'd been sent after Buffy he hadn't been able to walk for weeks.

"No I have a better idea, Spike step forward," Holtz ordered. A young man of 25 at the most stepped forward with light brown hair and amazingly light blue eyes.

"Go and find Miss Summers" Holtz commanded

"I'm not your whipping boy" Spike reminded him angrily "I'm just in it for the money" he sniffed

"I don't want you to kill her," Holtz said innocently "I want you to trap her," he demanded with a coy grin on his bearded face.

"Meaning what? Put her in a little cage? Not going to work" Spike drew out his sword and waved it around a little carelessly "look, we've been chasing this bird for months, why not just off her?" he explained as Holtz gave him an annoyed look

"We're doing this my way _William_, if you have a problem with that then I suggest you leave"

"Just tell me what to bloody do" Spike sighed, he was sick of following this tiny mans orders, but if he wanted to get the money then he had no choice, for now anyway.

Buffy stood up in the tree she'd been hiding in, if Holtz hadn't tried to find her yet then he obviously wasn't going to. She braced herself and she used a branch to swing back down to the ground but ended up landing on someone's chest.

"Ow! Bloody hell!" Spike groaned with his eyes shut from the sudden contact, Buffy panicked and pulled out a knife she'd stolen from Holtz

"What are you doing?" Buffy questioned viciously with the knife pressed against his throat.

"What are _you_ doing?" Spike retorted as they both looked at her legs straddling both sides of Spikes body. Buffy moved a leg and placed it on his stomach, using her boney knee to pressure his skin, he chuckled then rolled his eyes

"Look I came here to help you" he lied and she knew he was too

"Funny, I was thinking the exact opposite" Buffy said as she got up but held the knife out to show she didn't want any surprises

"Listen I don't want Holtz's army hanging around anymore than you do, but they have a plan and if you don't listen then they will kill you" Spike said as she looked around herself again, expecting people to jump from the brush

"A plan? Like sending a man to trick me?" she quipped and he ran forward and grabbed her by the shoulders

"Listen to me Summers, he's going to kill you and I can help you or I can help him, take your bloody pick," he growled

"Leave me alone" she exhaled then decided to push the offer "so what did he do to you that makes you act like the lone hero?" she questioned him

"Lets just say, he's got something of mine and I need it back"

"Uh huh, and you'd warn me why?" she crossed her arms around her white shirt. He looked at her carefully, she was wearing men's clothing and her muddy blonde hair was tied up in a mess, held by a piece of scrap leather.

"Well you look like you could use some help" Spike couldn't believe a girl could be so stubborn "after all little girls shouldn't be wandering about alone" he added giving her his favourite smirk, to his surprise she kicked a rock into his knee

"I'm not a kid, I'm 19" she corrected him furiously

"Oh" Spike didn't see that coming, she was short and in no way reminded him of a 19-year-old woman

"So are you going to give me your warning or what?" Buffy asked, she decided she might as well hear his words, she didn't have to trust him for that

"Right, yeah" he stepped closer to her and Buffy immediately took a fighting stance "head towards the stream in the middle of the forest, you'll find a house near there, they wont be able to find you" he whispered and she almost thought he meant it for a second

"Yeah and when I walk right into your trap, what then?" she replied in a whisper and Spike wished he could just hit her in the face, but that would ruin his façade

"You can't keep running love," Spike pointed out as Buffy pushed him away with as much force as possible

"I can do whatever I want, and don't call me love" she warned then tucked her knife back into its holder on her thigh

"Don't say I didn't warn you" he chuckled as he ran back towards the town. Buffy watched, not knowing what she felt. She felt angry for having a stranger talk to her like she was only 10 years old. She was suspicious, she knew Holtz never ventured far enough into the forest to know about the stream or any other hidden wonders it had. And lastly she was flustered that she had been in such close proximity to whoever the man was, it was a complete invasion of personal space and he knew it. She shook her head and stormed further into the forest. She'd find a safe spot to sleep, then she'd head towards the stream, but she'd be prepared. And if nothing happened, she'd find the man and thank him, because no one had looked out for willingly like that before… except for Angel

**Short first chapter I know! But it was really just an intro to what's going on (or at least a fuzzy water colour of what's going on) I'll update within the next few days!**

**Reviews make updates quicker! :)**


	2. The Man Who Cried Theif

**Thanks to anyone who has read or reviewed this story so far. Sorry my update took so long, but I had some sort of mini-appendicitis yesterday so I could really do anything except lie down a read all day. On with the story! **

She walked as quickly as her feet would allow her, but it seemed to be taking forever to reach the stream. Buffy sighed impatiently, she wished she'd asked the name of mysterious-advice-giver but she'd been too flustered to bother. Her ears picked up, she heard the sound of water flowing gently, it was peaceful and rather annoying, but was a sign she'd reached her destination.

"Yay me" she muttered sarcastically then sat down on a rock and took off her boots. She dipped her blistered feet into the water, flinching as the ice-cold feeling sent goose bumps all up her legs. She withdrew her feet; she couldn't stand water being that cold, so instead she rested her head against the smoothest rock she could spot and rested her eyes for a moment. Without knowing she'd drifted off into a deep sleep, into a dream she'd seen a million times over – a good dream –

"_You've got 20 minutes little girl" the masked guard informed her, Buffy knew right away that this was one of Holtz's men, he had men everywhere she went. _

"_Hands off" she spat back and then stumbled into the dusty prison yard, there was a fence separating the boys prison from the girls. The men's prison was almost full already whereas the girls prison had less than ten women in it. She slumped down against the fence and started drawing criss-cross patterns in the dirt _

"_Hello Ma'am" a voice from the other side of the fence chuckled, she turned her head to see a somewhat good-looking guy staring at her with a mocking smile _

"_Get lost," she grumbled _

"_That's not very nice" he sat down on his side of the fence so their backs were pressed together "you don't look like a criminal, what did you do?" he asked curiously _

"_I stole some stuff…" Buffy mumbled pulling at her prison rags nervously; she didn't usually talk to people so casually; it was kind of weird _

"_Oh and now Holtz is on your back about it" the man didn't mean it as a question _

"_That's the story" she smiled ruefully _

"_Mine too…" the man confessed _

"_You're a thief too?" Buffy was suddenly interested_

"_Huh? No I'm not a thief!" he replied in a defensive tone_

"_Then what brings you here?" she asked again, rather enjoying the conversation _

"_Tax evasion" he said bluntly then after feeling Buffy turn her head around "what? Like you actually pay your taxes?" he accused _

"_I'm a thief, I don't have a home so I don't pay taxes" she replied smugly _

"_That's the good life, no home, no taxes no worries" the man sighed _

"_What's your name?" Buffy asked quickly, finding that she genuinely wanted to talk to this man _

"_Liam… but most people call me Angel" he replied honestly "don't ask how I got the name, I don't even really know the answer," he said before she could ask _

"_Well you don't look like a Liam… I think I will call you Angel" she blushed a little then turned around - he did the same. Now they were facing each other _

"_I wouldn't say you look much like a Liam yourself, you got a name too?" he asked, looking her directly into the eyes, she blushed even darker _

"_Yeah… Buffy" she stuttered "well actually its Elizabeth but everyone's called that so I shortened it down, its more fun to say" she joked_

"_And I'm sure I'll have fun saying it" Buffy blushed furiously at that. Angel said as guards came up either side of them and lifted them up from the dirt _

"_Times up" they both said in unison, Buffy took one last look at Angel and smiled a small but grateful smile _

"_Bye Angel" she said _

"_See you soon" he replied _

Buffy woke with a start as an arrow flashed by just inches from her nose. She looked up angrily, Holtz's men had her surrounded, and she would not be getting out of here easily. She looked around trying to spot the son of a bitch who had deceived her, but he was nowhere in sight

"Hold still and we might go easy on you!" a man taunted her from behind a tree, he was holding a thin, but sharp looking sword

"Right" Buffy snorted then decided she might as well trying to run. She bounced across the stream, missing the water but a few centimeters then flew off towards the tree, she saw men jump from trees and run after her.

"If I ever see that man again I will _kill_ him!" she growled as she continued to fly past the trees, dodging hunters wherever possible. Suddenly she saw a beefy man, clad in leather amour running right towards her. She hesitated but began to run back the way she came, forgetting for a moment just how many men there were waiting for her. As soon as she reached the small clearing with the stream she froze

"I don't suppose we can just talk about this?" she joked half-heartedly then stopped moving as another arrow flew towards her head "you could have just said no" she muttered to herself and 13 men walked forward, trapping her

"This is your fault," a short one stated, "If you'd just paid for your things like everyone else you wouldn't be in this mess," he grunted

"No then your short, mental boss would have found something else wrong with me" Buffy retorted and someone threw an axe at her shoulder, cutting through her skin, it bled almost instantly

"Holtz is a great man, we wouldn't except a whore like you to understand!" a gruff voice yelled angrily, Buffy could only guess that he had thrown the axe at her

"Calm down Harold, you know we have to bring her back _alive_, bosses orders" the short one tried to act like a leader when suddenly a tall lanky one put another arrow on the bow, the tip of the arrow was soaked in some sort of grey water

"He didn't say anythin' to me, I jus' joined in today" he grinned, he was missing several teeth, and the ones he had were yellow and decaying

"And now we have a loophole" the leather armored one laughed heartily. Buffy exhaled then decided to play against the odds. She jumped across the stream, water splashing up her entire body, but she didn't care she had to get out of there. Suddenly she felt something pierce her back, it felt bitter and brutal and she knew why. It was the one with the grey water on the arrowhead… the arrow was covered in poison.

"Birdie won't fly no more!" the archer grinned a deranged type of grin as Buffy blacked out and slammed into the water. It was strange, she couldn't see, but she could hear and most of all she could feel. She could feel her entire back sting with pain so great she could only close her eyes and cry suddenly she felt a pair of hands pick her up from the water. Great, now they were going to make her live through this torture as well

"What are you doing?" someone questioned and she felt herself being put down on the cold wet grass. No the grass hadn't been wet before, and it was warm today. She had been drowning then… why did they save her?

"You weren't meant to kill her you git, you were just meant to capture her" Buffy knew this voice; it was the voice of the man who had tricked her in the first place. Was he the mean who had pulled her from the water… what in the world was happening? She couldn't understand

"Ah to hell with you William" she felt someone spit at her, but she couldn't move, she could only close her eyes and hope they got bored enough to leave her alone. She felt as if someone had heard her wishes, she could feel the shuffling of feet walking away in the distance

"W… Will… iam" Buffy managed to say before she felt herself being pulled into the darkness _I hate you _she finished as she once again fell into that familiar dream. Spike looked at her with the guiltiest face he'd ever pulled and hoisted her over his shoulders. He headed towards the house he had told her about. He found himself wondering why he would set this poor girl up like he had. Did he really need the money so bad, could he really keep watching her become so venerable? He didn't know anymore, he wasn't sure where his loyalties lay if these were the consequences

_6 hours later _–_ a cabin in the woods _

He sat with his hands in his hair, the same position he'd been sitting in for the past 5 and a half hours. He had of course considered taking out the arrow but that would wake her, and there was every chance the arrowhead would harden around her flesh. Which meant it would get stuck and he would have to watch Buffy die. She stirred a little bit, Spike jumped off the bed and knelt beside her

"Angel?" she whispered as she brushed her fingers against Spike's cheek, still waking up, Spike couldn't move, if she woke up now she was sure to panic "Angel… I'm so sorry" Spike watched as a tear rolled down her face and onto the creaked old mattress she was resting on. Her eyes fluttered open then remained wide and frightened as she took in her surroundings and the man in front of her. Her eyes narrowed into hateful slits, a glare that was genuinely frightening to Spike

"William" she grumbled with nothing but disgust in her voice, here she was trapped in a room with a man she greatly considered one of her enemy's and she could lift a finger to hurt him.

**So the purpose of this chapter was to convey the general idea of the story. Coming up next Conflict! Drama! Dun dun dun.**

**Review! This story will be for both Spuffy and Bangel lovers so fear not, there'll be enough of both to satisfy you all :) **


	3. Trusting the Enemy

**Okay chapter 3! Lets have some feedback too please (ie – keep or delete?) **

For almost 20 minutes she just looked at Spike, or rather she glared at Spike. He had lied to her, he had betrayed her and now she was in too much trouble than she could handle

"Buffy" he began, getting bored of the silence

"Shut up!" she hissed. She hadn't moved since she woke up. She felt like she couldn't move, which was odd. She was lying on her stomach on a creaky bed in a house she'd never been in before. How had she gotten here? It was all fuzzy, like a bad dream

"Just hear me out," he pleaded

"No! I can't hear you" she shut her eyes tight as he rolled his

"Come on, that's just silly" Spike almost laughed – almost. Buffy still shut her eyes tighter and her eyebrows scrunched up in annoyance and pain

"Go away, I hate you," she snapped

"You don't even know my name!" he insisted and her eyes flew open

"William" she dragged it out "Willy, Will, William" she droned

"Okay I get it" he sighed "and I know what your thinking" he continued

"That your head should explode and the rest of you should just disappear?" she asked, feigning innocence

"No, you think I lied to you"

"I know you lied to me" she corrected bitterly, still rather disappointed that Angel wasn't there like she'd thought when she woke up

"Well not really!" she gave him a look that demanded truth "yeah well okay, maybe I did but I feel really bad about it now!" he mentally kicked himself for saying something so lame

"Oh well in that case" she rolled her eyes and attempted to hoist herself from the bed. Spike nearly jumped when he heard the shrill cry of pain when she tried to put pressure on her arms and fell flat back on stomach. There were tears in her eyes, but it was plain to see she was trying to hide them

"Don't move, the poison'll spread" Spike put a hand nearby the blackening area where the arrow was still in her back. It was standing upright, with Buffy's blood covering half of it already, Spike glared daggers at it

"You poisoned me as well? What kind of sick freak are you?" Buffy screamed but had to take a few breaths afterwards, the pain was still flashing through her body

"I don't know how to fire sodding arrows, let alone how to make poison" he defended himself and Buffy raised her eyes as she suddenly remembered

"Rotting teeth" she muttered and turned her face into the pillow as the memory of the arrows coming in contact with her skin came rushing back to her. She bit her lip, she just yelled at William for something that was utterly out of his control

"Say William" she turned her head back towards him, trying to look nonchalant "can I call you something else? William doesn't really suit you" she couldn't help but compare this conversation to the one she'd had last year with Angel.

"Most people call me Spike," he said after a short pause and she raised an eyebrow

"Why?" she wasn't really educated about proper names or anything but Spike did not seem like a name at all

"I write poems" he mumbled, slightly embarrassed

"Which now makes sense that they would call you Spike" he smirked at her sarcasm

"Long story" he replied vaguely

"Okay then…" Buffy would have turned her head away again if it didn't hurt so much "why did you tell them where I was" she asked suddenly

"Don't really know… wish I hadn't now… the orders were just to catch you not to give you a deadly dose of bloody poison" he crossed his arms

"Deadly?" Buffy tried to sound carefree about it, but her voice broke a little at the end. Even she didn't want to die – and certainly not slowly

"If you let me take the arrow out maybe I could try and dilute…" Buffy cut him off

"No" she said bluntly

"But"

"No"

"I was just"

"Forget it"

"Buffy"

No!" she knew that keeping the arrow in was a good idea, she couldn't tell Spike why yet of course – he could just run off and tell Holtz. He frowned at her stubborn figure

"I cant win this can I?" he questioned quickly just in case

"Not a chance buddy" she smiled. This was the first time Spike had seen her smile and he had to admit – it suited her much more than when she was angry

"I should go, you probably don't want me hanging around" he got back on his feet, he had been kneeling on the wooden floors for far too long and his knees even cracked when he stood back up. Buffy watched as he made for the door and made what was possibly a stupid decision

"Spike" she called at him, he stopped, turning around a little bit

"Yes?" she had a stern look in her eyes, though a trusting smile on her lips

"You can stay… if you think your sorry then prove it" she said, ignoring the throbbing in her back "I cant protect myself if Holtz finds me in this state, stay here tonight and make sure he doesn't" she gave him his mission and he took a minute

"Okay" was all he could manage to get out. He couldn't describe the relief he felt after she had trusted him with a task like protecting her. He was sure it meant nothing to her, but still, he was grateful all the same

"Besides, this way I can make sure you don't go off and rat me out again" she added before she shut her eyes, he sighed

'Okay… maybe not all that much trust' he thought with a light chuckle as he sat down in the nearest chair and watched as Buffy fell asleep.

"_You've got an hour, enjoy it Summers" Holtz grinned horrifically at her and pushed her into the cramped little lunchroom. It was the only time she'd be able to find Angel. She hadn't seen him for weeks and she was starting to get worried _

"_He's gotta be here…" she whispered to herself "they cant execute people for tax evasion can they?" she asked herself. Before long she found herself being served a gooey mixture and she stared at it in disgust _

"_This would be?" she questioned the twitchy looking cook from behind the counter _

"_Its ya supper, eat up little one" he grinned a toothless smile as she shuddered and backed away from the bench. She bumped into someone's front as she was backing away. she turned around angrily _

"_Watch where you're… Angel!" she couldn't help herself, she flung her arms around him and her flinched a little, she took it as a rejection _

"_Watch it… just had a fight with one of guards" he explained when he saw the look of hurt on his face _

"_Oh my God are you okay?" he was clutching his stomach but he nodded anyway _

"_They look stupid but take my advice – do not piss them off" he half joked, although half it was serious, those guards could really throw a punch when they needed to _

"_Want food?" she offered, showing off her bowl as a visual aid _

"_Is that the food?" he asked _

"_Yes" _

"_Then I'll skip it," he groaned as he sat down then the swinging doors flew open and Holtz stormed in and marched over to Buffy and Angel. Angel immediately got up and stood between Holtz and Buffy. Holtz smiled at him with a sickening look in his eyes _

"_Stand down" he said calmly _

"_Don't touch her" Angel spat back, Holtz shrugged and pushed him to the ground _

"_Oh don't worry, I won't" his face turned into an evil grimace as he kicked Angel directly in his face, causing blood to pour out his nose and mouth. As if on cue, the other guards ran over to Buffy and pinned her against the wall and began what was soon to become a daily torture routine _

Spike jolted awake, he'd accidentally fallen asleep for a few minutes. He looked around frantically before remembering where he was. He cast a glance at Buffy who was moving and trashing about on the mattress. She was crying and small shrieking sounds escaped her lips every few seconds. Spike didn't know what worried him more, the fact that she was obviously scared of something or that fact that the more she moved the faster the poison would work its way through her system. He ran to her side as she jolted awake, still thrashing about wildly. Her wrapped his arms around her waist, making her stay still, it was both a gesture of comfort and way to stop the poison. She was crying and tears were dropping all over the bare nape of his shoulders

"They're here!" she screamed accidentally and he put a hand in her tangled hair and shushed her

"No ones here… you're safe," he whispered into her ear but it didn't seem to sooth her down at all

"I'm never safe… he'll always find me" she wailed

"No ones going to find you…" he promised her and she seemed to calm down "try not to move… it'll just make you feel worse" he muttered. Then at the same time they both seemed to notice the fact that Spike still had his arms wrapped firmly around her waist. He let go immediately and placed her gently back down on her stomach. Giving yet another worried glance at the arrow sticking dangerously from her back

"Sorry" Buffy couldn't think of anything better to say

"Just go to sleep" Spike replied. He didn't know who was more embarrassed at this point, him for leaving his hands around her for so long or her for weeping like a child in his arms.

**Reviews, comments or even theories are all welcomed! I'll write much quicker! (hint hint) **


	4. Small Steps

**Thanks to all the support from reviewers also before I begin I should tell you that this story will contain both intense romance and just cute fluffy parts. You've been warned so enjoy!**

Light shone through the wooden slits of the window shutters, causing Buffy to wake slowly from what had been a peaceful, dreamless sleep. The little house wasn't really too bad, it didn't have any broken doors or excessive cobwebs. For a house in the middle of a forest it had survived pretty well. Buffy listened closely outside as some bird chirped to each other, as if they were having an extremely fast paced conversation. Buffy the laughed at herself, she didn't usually get so spacey in the mornings. It was Spike's fault she decided. Him looking out for her had made her feel a little bit more secure, like she could relax a bit more. She didn't trust him of course. He had double-crossed her after all and he had some atoning to do for that, but she trusted his sincerity. For now, that was enough. She moved her head to see if he was still awake, or if he had fallen asleep after all. He wasn't there – she panicked

"Spike?" she coughed out, finding it was somewhat easier to move today for some reason she hoisted herself into a sitting position. The arrow was still in her back, she could feel it, but why could she move today when she could barely move her head yesterday? Her answer was lying on the floor next to her feet. A brownie-grey mixture was lying with a small cloth next to it. He had tended to her wound, disinfected it while she sleeping.

"Spike?" she called again, maybe he had gone outside for fresh air. When she stood up she wished she hadn't, her vision blurred suddenly. The think wooden walls suddenly looked bent and distorted. Her eyelids fluttered as she began her fall to the floor, except she never hit the floor. She hand rested upon her shoulders, catching her not centimeters from hitting her head on the dusty floors.

"Easy there" he said as she helped her walk back over to the bed

"Thanks" she blurted out without thinking

"Don't mention it" he replied curtly when Buffy noticed a stack of things lying by the open door, Spike seemed to pick up on her thoughts

"Blankets and food" he explained "since we might be here for a while I though you may as well be comfortable" he shrugged

"What's the book?" she asked out of curiosity

"Just some stuff…" he muttered back, Buffy could have sworn she saw him blush for a moment afterwards

"Wait… how'd you get those?" it suddenly occurred to her that he would have had to go back into town to find things like that. She caught the name of the town when she ran past the wooden welcome sign. The Valley of the Sun, an ironic name for a town that Holtz practically controlled like it were his own mini empire

"I live here" he informed her

"Alone?" she wondered if he had a girlfriend, or even if he had married someone

"With my mom" he replied, not the least bit embarrassed about it, he pulled a chair up and sat down next to the bed so he could see Buffy. Then he caught the look of amusement in her eyes and found it was sort on annoying him

"What?" he questioned

"You live with your mom yet you're a soldier in a big bad army?" the whole concept seemed somewhat abstract to Buffy. She assumed a soldier who helped Holtz would live alone in a mansion somewhere.

"I'm not his bloody soldier, I'm just in it for the money" he corrected and she flinched

"So after I'm all healed up you'll hand me over" she guessed

"No… I mean I would have before but its not like you've done anything wrong, I see that now" he said, calming her nerves a little

"So then why are you doing this if not for the money?" she asked, a hint of playfulness was in her voice now. She liked having conversations like these; it was rare. He didn't reply to her questioned, he just looked out the window and sighed

"What about you?" he changed the subject and left Buffy pondering the reasons he could possibly have to stay with her

"What about me?" she quickly put her defenses up, sarcasm at the ready

"Yeah, why do you steal? For the rush?" he asked, looking at the flash of hurt that appeared in her eyes for less than a second.

"For my mom" she muttered, as if touching on a memory best left alone

"You're mom makes you steal?" Spike didn't think that was very likely

"No" Buffy shook her head, causing a headache to arise "it started with me stealing medicine for her because she got sick and none of the doctors would see her because we didn't have enough money" the bitterness in her voice did not go unmissed

"So you stole from them" Spike said and Buffy glared at him

"It was that or sit back and watch my mom die!" she defended herself as he just nodded

"But then you got carried away? Thought if it were this easy why not just do it all the time" Buffy was surprised at how quickly he had put it together

"That's the about me" she sighed and then shut her eyes tight, wishing for her headache to just disappear

"Does the wound hurt?" Spike asked, readying himself to get up a take a look at it

"No" Buffy snapped, although the wound was stinging a fair lot "I just have a headache" she confessed, not really happy about having to show weakness to this man

"I'll go get you some water," he declared then picked up a bowl lying on the table and left to go towards the stream. Buffy lifted her head to see what was lying around that she could occupy herself with while he was gone. Curiosity got the best of her and using her feet, reached for his notebook. She pulled it towards her then clasped it in her hands with a cunning smile on her face. She flicked through the first couple of pages, which seemed to just be writings, ramblings. Then she noticed they were poems, and written in the neatest handwriting she'd seen in her life. He eyes landed on a poem that had no titles and it was long covered almost two pages. She read it silently, amazed that such beautiful words came from Spike, and it just didn't seem like him. Spike entered the room again with the bowl filled to the brim with water, probably from the stream. He looked happy enough until he saw what was in her hands

"What are you doing?" he asked angrily as he stormed towards her

"Nothing" she lied as he snatched the book from her hands and then glared at her. If looks could kill, well the arrow in her back would have been the least painful thing if that were the case.

"Don't _ever_ read this again," he growled at her and for the first time she felt scared of him. But she'd grown used to fear, and she wasn't going to sit here and let him yell at her.

"Who's Cecily?" she asked

"Mind your business, it's got nothing to do with you" he snapped at her, his voice a little louder than its usual calm, teasing tone. Buffy shifted her head so she was facing the other side of the room and not Spike. She wasn't about to show him the tears that had sprung into her eyes after being told that it had nothing to do with her, he would probably just laugh at her. It wasn't like they were friends or anything, but she couldn't deny that his words had stung her.

_Valley of the Sun Prison – same time _

Angel stepped out of the prison, gratefully squinting up into the sun. He smirked, he was finally free from that place and he knew the first person he wanted to share that joy with. He just had to track her down first

"Don't get too excited" Holtz lectured from behind him and Angel turned around with nothing but hatred in his eyes

"Oh don't worry sir, I assure you I am quite bored now" he replied with a grin

"I should warn you, I'm right in assuming you want to go find your little girlfriend don't you?" he asked, crossing his arms as if that proved his authority

"The thought had occurred to me" Angel replied, not at a loss for confidence

"Well that's good, would you mind passing on a message for me?" the look of utter distrust on Angels face told him that he would deliver the message, but as a warning

"She's run out of chances" Holtz spoke like he felt terribly about that face but Angel knew that there was no room in his stubby little body for feelings like remorse or regret "next time we catch her, she will be executed"

"Forgive me, but on what grounds are going to execute her exactly?" Angel asked casually, though inside he was dying to get away from the dreaded place he had been captive in for the past year

"Witchcraft, she was stealing items so she could curse the town, therefore she must be sent to God for proper judgment" he revealed his sinister plan and Angel made a sound of boredom at his plan

"Personally I think the whole witch craft things getting a bit old" he pretended to yawn but instead slammed Holtz's pudgy little face into the wall "and if you try anything then don't blame me if you wake up dead tomorrow" he said quickly and then let Holtz go and he coughed a little then started laughing as Angel turned around again

"That's a fair threat there Liam, might not want to do anything too impulsive though"

"What can I say, I live in the moment" Angel replied sarcastically

"If she tires anything she'll have her mother receive punishment" he yelled quickly "oh yes boy, our methods are cruel but effective" Holtz grinned in triumph

"Have a nice day" Angel gritted out, though it was plainly obvious he meant to exact opposite. Regardless he left, he didn't know how long it would take but he would find and help Buffy Summers because that's what a man does when he loves a woman

**Oh yes, that's where I'm going to leave you! And Angel and Buffy did fall in love and you'll find out how and why later in the story so just be patient. Reviews please!**


	5. Appeal To Treason

**Ha-ha I'm sick again. Bad for me but good for you guys and my stories! I update super fast when I have nothing to do. Most ideas for this fic come from the song Light up the Sky by Yellowcard (why yes the one that plays in the footy ads) **

Buffy walked slowly around the house trying to get feeling back into her legs, despite the struggles her back was giving her. She groaned again as she felt the strain pull at her spine, feeling as though she was going to fall over she placed a hand against the wall. Spike watched from the bed where he was sitting down observing her every move. Neither of them wanted to bring up yesterdays small fight about the diary, so they both resumed talking to each other like it never happened

"Ow…" Buffy moaned again, she could almost feel her back falling asleep on her

"Why's it hurting now? It was fine yesterday" Spike spoke mostly to himself but out of concern for Buffy. He hadn't meant to but he had grown rather observant to her in the last few days.

"I'm not sure… I guess the poisons stronger than the cure…" Buffy breathed, wishing she could just pull the arrow out and be done with it but she couldn't just yet. She had to wait for the right moment to launch her plan

"Let me take it out then" Spike almost sounded like he was pleading with her

"No" she said again, determination burning like fire in her green eyes "Holtz is having a gathering in town today isn't he?" Buffy questioned, she knew Holtz always gathered his troops on a certain day and she was certain it would be today

"Why?" Spike narrowed his eyes at her; she had an expression on her face that made him wary. He couldn't begin to guess what she was thinking - he liked that about her.

"Because I have a plan," she said vaguely

"A plan to what? Collapse on him?" Spike looked pointedly at Buffy's hand placed shakily on the wall

"No, to take him down, or at least cripple his image" she grinned mischievously

"I don't see how your gonna do that how you are now pet" he shook his head

"Which is why I'll need your help" she turned to him, hope written all over her face, also something else that Spike couldn't name

"My help?" he didn't think she would trust him so soon, especially with a Holtz related matter like the meeting today

"Of course" she replied like it was the most obvious thing in the world

"I can get you to the meeting, but you need to tell me what your plan is before I help you with anything, got that?" he looked her right in the eyes, blue orbs meeting green.

"Got it" she smiled at him, an actual smile.

"Ready?" Spike said from where he sat, on top of a saddle on his majestic palomino horse, that lowered its head as Buffy stroke its face gently

"As I'll ever be," she responded mesmerized by the horse's big black eyes. Spike grabbed her hand and hoisted her up behind him and she wrapped her hands around his middle as to stay on the horse. Spike kicked the horses side to get going and it raised quickly on its back legs, it front hooves kicking the air readily before it took off into a brisk gallop

"You ever ridden before?" he asked casually as he steered them around trees, branches hitting their arms every now and again

"Do I look like I have?" she retorted holding on her dear life

"Good point" he laughed at her as she blushed behind his back, the jumped over a log lying on the forest floor and made their way towards the town

"I'm guessing you ride all the time then?" Buffy asked, she felt his shoulders shrug

"When I get bored" he replied and Buffy rolled her eyes

"Someone was mollycoddled" she joked and he rolled his eyes her this time

"Cant all grow up as thieves" he said back and she laughed freely this time

"Oh but its fun!"

"I wasn't rich… but I wasn't poor" he admitted and Buffy didn't miss the past tense

"You mean you're not… right?" she raised her eyebrows at him though he wouldn't have been able to see it

"Things are different now, complicated" he answered her frankly and she couldn't argue, things were certainly different now "so, you're still going through with the plan" he double checked, he was all for turning around and going back to the little house they were using

'Definitely" she nodded furiously, his fear for her was only strengthening her resolve, she could use this opportunity to show him just what kind of girl she really was underneath all the pretense

"You're mental," he said with a light chuckle from the back of his throat

"Thank you" she grinned

"Wasn't a compliment,"

"It is as we suspected my friends" Holtz's voice boomed over the chatter and the talking residents hushed themselves at once "Miss Summers was behind the attacks that injured my men, who's to say she hasn't been behind other attacks? We must act now!" he threw a fist into the air as the crowd cheered agreements at him

"She's obviously not very stable!" a nasally sounding man said from the audience, and everyone nodded to his statement

"But what can we do sir?" a young teenaged boy asked looking up at the stage the Holtz had set up for himself

"I'm offering a prize befitting a champion for anyone who catches the girl" he announced, he'd said the same speech in every town he'd been to and they were all just as gullible as the last.

"How much?" a woman shouted from the crowd, fanning herself down

"One hundred thousand pounds" Holtz shouted back and cheers erupted again and wives were already trying to talk their husbands in to joining Holtz's cause. And younger boys were already thinking of ways they could get into the hunt even though they were underage, they couldn't resist the pull of the fight. Suddenly a beautiful palomino skidded to a halt in to middle the crowd, and a small walkway formed so Holtz had a direct view of the intruders. Spike jumped off the horse first, pulling Buffy against his side, trying to make it look casual so no one would know she was hurt

"Ladies and Gentlemen, it seems to hunt has come to us" Holtz smiled sadistically and Buffy's hearts jumped as a natural reaction to fear

"Listen to me!" Buffy raised her voice so that it matched Holtz's level. It even sounded just as demanding, Spike was amazed, even when she was under threat from a poisonous arrow she could still stand her ground like that "Holtz isn't the man you think he is, he's cruel and violent and does things to people that you could never imagine!" she yelled, some of the crowd was already buying her argument but most were uninterested

"Don't feed the nice people your lies" Holtz put his hands behind his back innocently

"Look at my back!" Buffy screamed, she knew it would come down to this, she turned around so she was now facing Spike who was still looking at her in amazement. The residents gasped and cried in shock when the saw the arrow poking from her back.

"Funny how your men mentioned that they only did it because you ordered it" she yelled at Holtz who looked like his head would explode from anger. He hadn't expected that she would keep the arrow in, he didn't have an excuse for this

"You have no proof that it's mine" Holtz replied, though sweat was collecting on his forehead

"Yes I do, all you arrow heads are the same design, once I pull it out I'll have proof" she smirked at him as if to say 'checkmate'. She then turned to Spike who pulled out small pocketknife and she knelt down in front of him so he could over her shoulder and dig out the arrow.

"You're sure?" he asked softly

"Do it" she demanded

"Bit my shoulder, you'll break your teeth otherwise" he ordered he and she complied by readying her lips on his shoulder. Carefully, but skillfully he dug the blade into her back, fresh blood oozed from the spot, but it wasn't discoloured so she would be safe from the poison as long as Spike could pull the arrow out.

"Nearly there" he whispered as he felt Buffy's teeth clench into his skin, he was bleeding from the shoulder but that was nothing compared to the pain that Buffy must have been feeling so he took it with pride. The town members watched in horror at the look of pain on her face and for once in their lives they saw her as a woman. Not a criminal, but an equal who had been unjustly hurt and it angered them. Spike slowly pulled the arrow from her back, feeling his heart skip when she winced in pain and tears hit his shoulder

"I'm sorry" he whispered, and he truly was. He held the arrow in the air, and surely enough it was one of Holtz's arrowheads and the town was shocked. The shock wore off quickly and turned to anger.

"I demand you explain yourself!" an elderly woman yelled at Holtz breaking the silences, Holtz just look at the arrow in boredom

"It means that I have a betrayer among my army, he will be punished justly I assure you of that" he scratched his beard and Buffy looked at him angrily before she felt dizzy again and passed out in Spike's warm arms.

"Best be on your way boy, looks like Miss Summers could use some medical assistance" Holtz addressed Spike like they'd never met before and that pissed Spike off more than anything. Ignoring the onlookers he scooped Buffy into his arms and walked back to his horse when he noticed someone familiar standing next to it with a coy smile on her perfectly flawless face

"Cecily" he muttered, almost forgetting he was carrying Buffy for the moment

"William" she curtseyed and eyed him flirtatiously "You've really changed in the time I haven't seen you William" she complimented him and placed a delicately gloved hand on his face and he felt his heart jump

"You look nice too" he managed to say it without stuttering

"Who's this?" Cecily sniffed and pointed at Buffy's sleeping figure in his arms

"A friend…" he replied

"How cute" she said bitterly and then kissed Spike on the cheek "maybe one day you'll get the reward for handing her in" she hinted and fluttered her eyelashes at him. Spike regained his senses then and took one look at Buffy's face and resolved the situation for himself

"Sorry Cecily, I have somewhere to be" he mounted his horse and left her standing in a cloud of dust before him

"Mmmnh" Buffy groaned and pulled herself up from bed, her eyes flew open when she noted she'd been lying face up on the bed and she wasn't in pain… or at least not too much pain

"You're okay?" Spike rushed over to her side but she looked him in the eyes

"Did we take him down?" she asked, though she had a feeling she knew the answer

"I'm sorry… he's got the whole town fooled" he said sadly but despite this Buffy smiled and placed a hand on his cheek. It reminded Spike of Cecily, but it was different, it was gentler for some reason now

"You tried, that means something" she assured him and he smiled weakly

"I'll stay with you until the noise dies down" he promised and she couldn't help herself this time. She let her arms slide around Spikes neck and she pulled him close to her and hugged him.

"Thank you" she whispered and at first Spike was too stunned to say anything back. The hug wasn't romantic but it still meant something to Spike… something trivial but it seemed like such a huge thing

"For what?" he asked as he let him arms hold her back around her waist. It was a mutual feeling of trust now

"Being a friend" she replied "no ones gone to that length for me before… not really" she corrected on account of her time with Angel

"Anytime" he whispered back, unable to hide the grin on his face, likewise she couldn't hide her smile – or her sudden blush.

**Ooh it's getting serious now! And Cecily! I know most of you will hate me but Cecily is big, Cecily is not over yet! Neither is Angel! So hah! Reviews! **


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